


A tale of love, unforgotten

by Aisla_elfvictory



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-10-29 20:27:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20802476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aisla_elfvictory/pseuds/Aisla_elfvictory
Summary: Lore spoke of Caranthir’s wife, and yet lore spoke of Caranthir’s mortal love Haleth.Elves were not known for infidelity, and amongst the Noldor, the House of Feanaro honour oaths sworn and bonds forged.Was Caranthir truly in love with Haleth?





	A tale of love, unforgotten

When he first saw the Edain, he froze atop his horse – the resemblance was uncanny.

_Dark brown eyes shone with endless mirth, and their mistress laughed along, “Why, my prince, you look exceptional with that blush!”_

_He had flushed an even darker shade of red, but she was laughing still._

_“It becomes you!” the elleth laughed, raspy and sweet._

_The anger disappeared._

“Haleth of the Haladin,” a proud, noble voice returned him to the present.

Caranthir turned his gaze on the woman. Such fearlessness, such rigid determination!

“Caranthir, Lord of Thargelion and Prince of the Noldor,” he responded, recalling a time when entire days were wasted in the courts of Tirion.

_“I have not seen you all month!” _

_Carnistro turned, grinning at the familiar voice, before his mind registered what she said, and frowned in confusion, watching as she stormed towards him, scowling and glaring all the while._

_Pools of black glowered frostily, “I am not some lady at court for you to toy around with; if you do not wish for my presence then-“_

_“It is not that,” he interrupted, much filled with youthful anger, “I was preoccupied-“_

_“Preoccupied?” She snarled, more vicious than he expected._

_“Does our courtship not matter to you?” Equal parts of hurt and fury coated her tone, “Am I merely a plaything for you to use and toss away at whim?”_

_Carnistro blinked, “Almiel-”_

_“Fool I was!” She spat, distressed under the guise of anger._

_“Why bother if you would have forgotten me come dawn?”_

Caranthir shoved those memories away.

Where were they? Ah, yes. Provide shelter to the Edain.

“Your offer is generous, my lord,” the female voice spoke, clear and confident, “We shall stay with your people as my men recover, then we shall be on our way.”

He mustered a polite, detached smile as she strode back to her wounded party, watching as ebony hair freely flowed in the breeze.

_She ran, ever increasing in speed, before soaring off the cliff in an elegant leap, and dove headfirst into the water._

_He stared at her from his perch on the edge of the cliff, wide-eyed._

_“I thought you were going to die!” He called down, recovering from the shock._

_“Boring prince,” she laughed, soaked hair sparkling in Laurelin’s gaze._

_Carnistro tried scowling, but her laughter was all to infectious and soon, he was grudgingly smiling along._

* * *

“The human is quite smitten with you,” Curufin remarked as he strode in unannounced into his brother’s study.

Caranthir did not look up, “Finally, you deign to grace me with your illustrious presence – and it took only two hundred years.”

“Spare me the sarcasm, brother,” Curufin retorted, “Resembles your late Almiel, does she not?”

Caranthir stiffened.

_Dead, dead, dead._

_Suffering elves, Teleri and Noldor both, and the occasional Vanyar._

_Sweet Eru, what went wrong?_

_Why had they committed such treason, slaughtering one’s own kin?_

_Were his brothers alive?_

_His father?_

_Where was Almiel? She was with him when they arrived Alqualondë – Sweet Eru, let her be safe – she was unarmed – was she hurt – or worse, dead?_

_“Carnistro!” A voice called from – from where?_

_Someone grabbed his shoulder – he turned – hair bright and rare, crimson mane, hair the shade of flame, hair the shade of _blood_._

_“Ambarto,” he murmured, raking his eyes over his younger sibling._

_Unharmed – good, so very good._

_“’russa found Almiel…” his brother started, yanking him to the right._

_Carnistro blindly followed, following, walking…_

_Ambarto stopped._

_An elleth leaned heavily on one of his brothers, bleeding heavily. Beside her, Ambarussa was frowning, worriedly pressing against a large wound._

_Eru – no._

_Merciful Nienna…_

_“Boring prince,” Almiel forced a pained smile onto her face._

_There is this horrifying moment of realisation, when one realises that death, even for supposedly immortal elves, is inescapable._

_His throat convulsed, and Carnistro choked back on a cry._

_“I will remember you always.”_

“Do respect the dead, Atarince,” he murmured.

But Curufin did not stop, a malicious smile adorning his features.

“Of course, she died terrified and filled with dread, with no one there to console-“

The study door slammed open, and someone else stormed in-

What was it with people interrupting him? Had they no semblance of privacy?

Caranthir glanced at the newcomer.

“Almiel?” Haleth was the embodiment of Osse’s wrath.

Curufin was smirking.

“You had it coming,” said the Lord of Himlad, casually shrugging his shoulders and leaving the study with his usual cold elegance.

That left Caranthir with a fuming Haleth.

* * *

“All will be right,” swore his elder brother.

They had never been close, him and Tyelkormo.

“I will see them again,” Caranthir murmured, “Almiel and Father and Grandfather…”

The sounds of fighting echoed down the halls - 

“Go, brother,” the world blurred.

“Find the Silmaril.”

He could only see brown. Brown of the caves and specks of gold.

Then there was only Thargelion, and her landless Lord.

**Author's Note:**

> Almiel: good (or blessed) thing, blessing, piece of good fortune [Caranthir's unnamed canonical wife]  
Atarince=Curufin  
Carnistro=Caranthir


End file.
